


Sunday Father

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Sunday Fathers and Uncles Universe [1]
Category: LOTR RPS AU
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-20
Updated: 2010-06-20
Packaged: 2017-10-10 05:06:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/95848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When his marriage is destroyed as the result of a gay affair, a father finds comfort in the children he only gets to see one day a week, on Sunday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunday Father

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Father's Day 2010.

As he sat basking in the late afternoon sun, watching his two younger girls climb the jungle gym like a pair of monkeys, Sean suddenly remembered that it was Father's Day. It didn't surprise him that he'd forgotten. Since the divorce, the holiday had lost all meaning for him because now every Sunday was Father's Day, the one day each week he got to spend with his kids.

Detracting from the pleasure Sean got from watching his daughters at play was the familiar stab of guilt that came from knowing that so often during his marriage he'd taken his children for granted, never really appreciating the unrestricted time he had with them. Now that his time was limited to only one day a week, it was more precious to him, and he regretted how much of it he'd wasted.

He had been afraid that his ex would forbid visitation altogether so his children wouldn't be subjected to what her lawyer had called his "unnatural lifestyle," but those fears had been unfounded. Christine knew he wouldn't do anything to harm his daughters mentally any more than he would harm them physically, so his having time with them hadn't been an issue. As long as he kept up the alimony payments and the child support, she didn't appear to care where he put his dick.

It hadn't really been a revelation that Christine no longer cared about his personal life. Hadn't she moved on before the divorce was even final? Wasn't she already living with some other guy in _his_ house, the house he'd bought when they got married, the house he was still paying the mortgage on, even though he was now living in a studio apartment? But while Sean considered himself lucky that his affair hadn't cost him his kids, he could only wish he'd been more particular about his partner.

Orlando had been pretty and willing, and Sean had been flattered by his attention, flattered enough to finally give in to the desire he'd fought against his entire adult life. Three months after they started sleeping together, he began to believe himself in love, and soon convinced himself that his love was returned. The sex was so satisfying that Sean allowed himself to fantasize that he and Orlando could have a life together. Then Christine had discovered the affair and his fantasy had been swiftly and cruelly shattered by the man he thought loved him.

After the dust had settled, Sean suggested they move in together. Orlando's reply had been quick and caustic. "There's no way I'm playing Daddy to a bunch of rugrats that aren't even mine." At Sean's deflated look, Orlando had added in a kinder tone, "We had fun, but when it gets messy, I move on." _Fun._ Sean had destroyed his marriage and his reputation by following his heart, and to Orlando, their time together had been nothing more than a temporary distraction. Orlando had given him a quick kiss, declared, "You were fantastic, lover," then turned and walked out of Sean's life without so much as a backward glance.

"Look at me, Daddy!"

The carefree laughter brought Sean out of his reverie and he looked up to see Lizzie, his middle child, hanging upside down from the top rung of bars, a huge smile on her face. "That's great, honey," he said with a grin. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will, Daddy," Lizzie promised, and righting herself again, began to move across the bar hand over hand.

"She favors you."

Sean followed the voice to his left where a man sat alone on another of the straight-back wooden benches that stood in front of the playground equipment. Other adults sat on benches, too, but only Sean and the man who had spoken to him were alone. The couples, mostly male and female, were involved in animated conversations that were interrupted every few minutes by the voices of children who called out to them from swing sets, slides and the rest of the playground's athletic structures.

Even though Sean hadn't answered him, the stranger spoke again. "The younger one must favor your wife."

"Ex-wife," Sean corrected. "She does, and so does my oldest."

The stranger looked around then asked, "She's not here?"

Sean shook his head with a wry smile. "She's at that age where it isn't cool to hang out with her sisters, or her father. That hurts a little since I only get the girls on Sundays, but she's growing up and I'll have to deal with it. My two younger ones had their hearts set on coming here, so Ally's back at my place, happily texting away with her friends. We'll all be going out to dinner later."

He couldn't believe how much personal information he'd just volunteered about his family, and to a stranger. Maybe he'd been so forthcoming because his listener _was_ a stranger, someone who didn't know him and so wouldn't judge him for his choices. Still, Sean knew you couldn't be too careful, especially when it came to your children. He turned his attention to the other.

The man was about a decade younger than Sean, his slight body dressed casually in an olive green Army surplus shirt and jeans with ladders in the knees. They might have been an affectation, but the jeans looked old enough that the rips might have been from actual wear and not just for style. His feet were encased in black Converse Chucks.

His hair was dark and unruly, looking as if he'd just gotten out of bed, but it suited the face that was more pretty than handsome. The eyes looking out from the face were huge and blue and for a moment Sean thought he might drown in them. He had been mesmerized by Orlando's looks, too, and thinking of his former lover made Sean instantly wary. Once bitten, twice shy, he thought, then shook his head. He was making an assumption based on physical appearance. This guy was probably just another Sunday father.

"Which one's yours?" Sean asked, searching the play area for a child with the man's coloring.

"I don't have any children." Seeing the red flag his statement had raised in Sean's eyes, he held out his hands, palms facing outward as if in defense. "Take it easy. I'm not some perv who hangs around playgrounds scoping out kids."

"Then what are you doing here?" Sean demanded, ready to call the police if he didn't like the answer.

Before one could be provided, Sean heard a child's gleeful scream pierce the air. He turned in the direction the sound had come in time to see a small boy, pre-school age, take a running leap and throw himself into the stranger's arms and squeal, "Uncle Lijah!"

Uncle Lijah's grin was as wide as the boy's, showing a small gap between his two front teeth. "This one's mine," he told Sean with a giggle that made him seem as young as the child, "but I'm not his father." He turned the boy in his arms so he was facing Sean. "This is Aaron, my sister Hannah's son."

"Shouldn't he be with his father on Father's Day?" Sean asked.

"He's not in the picture," Elijah explained. "My sister got married way too young. Neither she or her boyfriend was ready for the commitment, and the fucker proved it by taking off when Hannah was pregnant. He's never even seen his son." Elijah sat the squirming boy on his knee. "Hannah's raised him on her own and she works really hard, so I take Aaron every Sunday so she can have a day off, take a little time for herself."

So there weren't only Sunday fathers, Sean realized. There were also Sunday uncles. He made his way over to the bench and sat beside the man and boy. "You don't want children of your own?" he asked.

The other extended his hand. "Since we're sharing our deepest desires," he said with a grin, "I think we should at least know each other's names. I'm Elijah."

Sean took the offered hand. "Sean." He pointed to the jungle gym. "The older one's Lizzie," he said by way of introduction, "and the younger is Bella."

"You want to go play with Sean's girls, Kiddo?" Elijah asked his nephew, and at Aaron's eager nod, he put the boy down. "Just stay where we can see you," he ordered as the little one made for the jungle gym.

"Not many guys your age would take on a pre-schooler that's not even his," Sean observed.

Elijah shrugged. "He's Hannah's, so he's mine. Plus taking care of him is good practice."

"You want children of your own then."

"Absolutely, but the timing's not right. I'm working nights right now, DJing over at Odyssey from 8pm to 3am. Not the best hours for raising children."

Odyssey was a gay bar, Sean knew. Orlando had taken him there a few times, but he didn't remember seeing Elijah. Of course, everything had been new to him then. Orlando had introduced him to a completely different world, and it had been difficult to take it all in. But now he considered the club scene an artificial world, as artificial as his guide had been. "I've been there," he told Elijah.

Elijah took a moment to absorb that then decided on the direct approach. "You're gay."

Sean considered denying it, but what was the point? "Yeah." He pointed at Lizzie and Bella, who were happily interacting with the much-younger Aaron. "I'm a late bloomer."

Elijah looked contemplative. "It's a journey."

"You?" Sean asked.

Elijah half-smiled. "Not such a late bloomer."

"But you're still into the club scene."

"Because I work at Odyssey?" Elijah questioned. "That's just for now. I'd like to get into the music business, and DJing is a way to keep the wolves from the door until I can make it happen. I'm looking forward to a normal job where I can work days and sleep nights."

Elijah wasn't what Sean had expected. He seemed so...normal. Believed in work. Valued family. Wasn't that different from Sean himself. He felt regret that he'd based his opinion of all gay men on the selfish, arrogant Orlando.

While the sensible part of Sean told him he should just take his girls and go, he ignored good sense in favor of spontaneity and said, "The girls and I are going to pick up their sister and go out for dinner. How would you and Aaron like to join us?"

Sean saw pleasure in the blue eyes, then uncertainty. "This is your only time with your daughters," Elijah said. "And it's Father's Day. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Were you planning to feed Aaron before you take him back to his mother?" Sean asked.

"Sure, but—"

"Then there's no reason not to join us." Sean indicated the children. "They seem to be getting on great. It'll be fun for the girls to have another child along, and I'm sure Aaron will enjoy it, too."

Elijah's lips turned up. "You've got quite a sales pitch."

Sean nodded. "Did it work?"

"We'd love to join you," Elijah admitted, "but no place fancy. Aaron hasn't quite mastered his table manners yet."

Sean shrugged that off. "I'm an old hand. My three were once that age and I came through it unscathed."

"This is very nice of you, Sean," Elijah told him as they rose from the bench.

"It's my pleasure," Sean replied, and realized that for the first time since his divorce, since his breakup with Orlando, he felt good about himself. Maybe in time he could be happy again, maybe even find someone...

Sean mentally put the brakes on. There was no use getting ahead of himself. He'd jumped in with both feet with Orlando, and look where it had gotten him. This time he'd take it slow. They were just going to have a nice, family dinner, two Sunday fathers -- correction, a Sunday Father and a Sunday Uncle -- with their children. It was enough for now.


End file.
